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Journal of Experimental Biology 118,287-296 (1985)
Published by Company of Biologists 1985

Behaviour and Motor Output for an Insect Walking on a Slippery Surface: II. Backward Walking

D. GRAHAM ¹ and S. EPSTEIN ²

¹ Fachbereich Biologie, Universitaet Kaiserslautern, D-6750, F.R.G.; 17 Hastings Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex, England.
² Fachbereich Biologie, Universitaet Kaiserslautern, D-6750, F.R.G.; Department of Computer and Information Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, U.S.A.

Coordination of the legs and the motor activity of four muscles in a middle leg were recorded in adult stick insects walking on a slippery glass surface. Backward walking was not achieved by a simple phase shift of levators and depressors. In all muscles examined, there was a considerable disturbance of motor activity during backward walking when compared with that found in forward walking. In backward walking, recovery was performed, in the middle leg, by strong fast unit activity in the retractor muscle and all muscles showed weak activity at inappropriate times. Fast motor output appeared to be superimposed on the forward walking motor pattern to produce the movements required for backward walking in this insect.

Key words: Backward walking, motor output, behaviour

Accepted on March 20, 1985